Anu Singh
Encyclopedia
Anu Singh is an Australia
n of India
n descent who, in 1997, while a law student at the Australian National University
, murdered her boyfriend, Joe Cinque. She laced his coffee with Rohypnol, then injected him with heroin. The crime was very widely reported in Australia. After completing four years in prison, Singh has attracted controversy with her stated career aims with regard to the justice system.
Singh's close friend Madhavi Rao invited acquaintances to two dinner parties in October 1997 and told them that a terrible crime would be committed. Witness Sanjeeva Tennekoon reported that the first dinner party on 24 October was normal and that Singh and Cinque appeared loving but another witness told the court that Rao had told her afterwards that Singh had tried to kill Cinque that evening but could not deliver a sufficient dose, and that the witness had threatened to go to the police. The day after the first dinner party, Singh and Rao went to a friend, Len Mancini, and told him they had given Cinque drugs the previous evening.
Cinque died on 26 October 1997, the morning after the second dinner party. The toxicology reports showed high levels of heroin and Rohypnol in his body.
Witness Ross Manley claimed that Singh bought further heroin from Manley's friend on the morning of 26 October. Singh called an ambulance for Cinque at 12:10pm on 26 October, and the ambulance officers found that he had had a cardiac arrest
. She made it difficult for the ambulance to respond quickly, giving false information about where she lived. Singh told police at the scene that she had administered drugs to Cinque. Police reported that when they arrived at the scene, Singh was hysterical and struggled with police and ambulance officers when they took her away from Cinque's body.
. She had told police that she had injected Cinque with heroin so that he would not interfere with a suicide
attempt. Madhavi Rao was charged with conspiracy
to commit murder and released on bail on 5 November. The prosecutor noted that both Singh and Rao had been indiscreet about their actions. Singh applied for bail in December, and a psychiatrist presented evidence of a personality disorder
.
Singh and Rao were tried jointly in October and November 1998, but this trial was aborted on 11 November, with Justice Ken Crispin saying that one of the pieces of evidence was problematic as it was unclear as to which of Singh or Rao it was admissible against. For her second trial, Singh elected to stand trial by judge alone, forgoing a jury
. Crispin J ruled that Singh and Rao had to have separate trials in the interest of fairness.
In her 1999 trial, Singh's defence presented evidence that Singh was mentally ill
and had diminished responsibility
. The prosecutors called an expert witness
to testify that Singh had appeared rational and assertive on the night she was arrested. On 23 April Crispin J found Singh not guilty of murder
due to diminished responsibility, but guilty of manslaughter
. On 24 June she was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment with four years of non-parole period, including the time she had served since 1997. Cinque's mother was deeply unhappy with the short sentence.
that she had assisted in the attempt and rejected the prosecutor's argument that Rao had a legal duty of care
to Cinque. As of 2004 Rao was married and no longer lived in Australia.
's book Joe Cinque's Consolation
, published 2004, was a widely publicised account of Singh's crime and trial, together with the Cinque family's response to it. Singh's actions were also the inspiration for a play, Criminology by Tom Wright and Lally Katz, performed at Melbourne
's Malthouse Theatre in August 2007.
Singh gave interviews shortly after the release of the book, recounting her own memories of the killing and expressing regret at not agreeing to an interview by Garner. She told interviewers that she wished to redress some of the book's imbalance towards her. ABC interviewer Phillip Adams referred to her as "chilling" and was profoundly disturbed by Singh's failure to acknowledge responsibility, referring to the crime in the third person.
Singh has completed a masters in criminology
at Sydney University, having attended classes on day release from Emu Plains Correctional Centre
.
In June 2005, concern was expressed in the New South Wales Parliament
about Singh's employment with the Cabramatta
Community Centre. The public were reassured that Singh was not employed to distribute clean injecting equipment and that her employment was on a time-limited project. In 2005, a documentary was being made about Singh by James Ricketson which covered her employment in Cabramatta. The documentary was reportedly to be called Atonement.
Singh is now writing her PhD thesis at the University of Sydney on Offending Women - Toward a Greater Understanding of Female Criminality.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n descent who, in 1997, while a law student at the Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
, murdered her boyfriend, Joe Cinque. She laced his coffee with Rohypnol, then injected him with heroin. The crime was very widely reported in Australia. After completing four years in prison, Singh has attracted controversy with her stated career aims with regard to the justice system.
Joe Cinque's death
In 1997, Singh and Cinque lived together in Canberra. A friend of Singh's told her 1998 trial that Singh had been obsessed with her body starting from 1991 and had briefly taken Ipecac after Cinque mentioned it, something she was later angry with him for. In May 1997 she told a friend that she wanted to kill a number of people, including Cinque and her doctors.Singh's close friend Madhavi Rao invited acquaintances to two dinner parties in October 1997 and told them that a terrible crime would be committed. Witness Sanjeeva Tennekoon reported that the first dinner party on 24 October was normal and that Singh and Cinque appeared loving but another witness told the court that Rao had told her afterwards that Singh had tried to kill Cinque that evening but could not deliver a sufficient dose, and that the witness had threatened to go to the police. The day after the first dinner party, Singh and Rao went to a friend, Len Mancini, and told him they had given Cinque drugs the previous evening.
Cinque died on 26 October 1997, the morning after the second dinner party. The toxicology reports showed high levels of heroin and Rohypnol in his body.
Witness Ross Manley claimed that Singh bought further heroin from Manley's friend on the morning of 26 October. Singh called an ambulance for Cinque at 12:10pm on 26 October, and the ambulance officers found that he had had a cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest, is the cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively...
. She made it difficult for the ambulance to respond quickly, giving false information about where she lived. Singh told police at the scene that she had administered drugs to Cinque. Police reported that when they arrived at the scene, Singh was hysterical and struggled with police and ambulance officers when they took her away from Cinque's body.
Trial and imprisonment
Singh first appeared in court on 28 October 1997 charged with murderMurder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
. She had told police that she had injected Cinque with heroin so that he would not interfere with a suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
attempt. Madhavi Rao was charged with conspiracy
Conspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
to commit murder and released on bail on 5 November. The prosecutor noted that both Singh and Rao had been indiscreet about their actions. Singh applied for bail in December, and a psychiatrist presented evidence of a personality disorder
Personality disorder
Personality disorders, formerly referred to as character disorders, are a class of personality types and behaviors. Personality disorders are noted on Axis II of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or DSM-IV-TR of the American Psychiatric Association.Personality disorders are...
.
Singh and Rao were tried jointly in October and November 1998, but this trial was aborted on 11 November, with Justice Ken Crispin saying that one of the pieces of evidence was problematic as it was unclear as to which of Singh or Rao it was admissible against. For her second trial, Singh elected to stand trial by judge alone, forgoing a jury
Jury
A jury is a sworn body of people convened to render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Modern juries tend to be found in courts to ascertain the guilt, or lack thereof, in a crime. In Anglophone jurisdictions, the verdict may be guilty,...
. Crispin J ruled that Singh and Rao had to have separate trials in the interest of fairness.
In her 1999 trial, Singh's defence presented evidence that Singh was mentally ill
Mental illness
A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and which is not a part of normal development or culture. Such a disorder may consist of a combination of affective, behavioural,...
and had diminished responsibility
Diminished responsibility
In criminal law, diminished responsibility is a potential defense by excuse by which defendants argue that although they broke the law, they should not be held fully criminally liable for doing so, as their mental functions were "diminished" or impaired. The defense's acceptance in American...
. The prosecutors called an expert witness
Expert witness
An expert witness, professional witness or judicial expert is a witness, who by virtue of education, training, skill, or experience, is believed to have expertise and specialised knowledge in a particular subject beyond that of the average person, sufficient that others may officially and legally...
to testify that Singh had appeared rational and assertive on the night she was arrested. On 23 April Crispin J found Singh not guilty of murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
due to diminished responsibility, but guilty of manslaughter
Manslaughter
Manslaughter is a legal term for the killing of a human being, in a manner considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is said to have first been made by the Ancient Athenian lawmaker Dracon in the 7th century BC.The law generally differentiates...
. On 24 June she was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment with four years of non-parole period, including the time she had served since 1997. Cinque's mother was deeply unhappy with the short sentence.
Madhavi Rao's trial
Rao was tried separately in late 1999 on charges of murder, manslaughter, attempted murder and administering a stupefying drug. On 10 December Rao was found not guilty of all charges against her. Crispin J found that there was reasonable doubtReasonable doubt
Proof beyond a reasonable doubt is the standard of evidence required to validate a criminal conviction in most adversarial legal systems . Generally the prosecution bears the burden of proof and is required to prove their version of events to this standard...
that she had assisted in the attempt and rejected the prosecutor's argument that Rao had a legal duty of care
Duty of care
In tort law, a duty of care is a legal obligation imposed on an individual requiring that they adhere to a standard of reasonable care while performing any acts that could foreseeably harm others. It is the first element that must be established to proceed with an action in negligence. The claimant...
to Cinque. As of 2004 Rao was married and no longer lived in Australia.
In literature
Singh's actions have been the subject of fiction and non-fiction in Australia. Helen GarnerHelen Garner
Helen Garner is an award-winning Australian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter and journalist.-Life:Garner was born in Geelong, Victoria, the eldest of six children. She attended Manifold Heights State School, Ocean Grove State School and then The Hermitage in Geelong...
's book Joe Cinque's Consolation
Joe Cinque's Consolation
Joe Cinque’s Consolation: A True Story of Death, Grief and the Law is a non-fiction book written by Australian author Helen Garner, and published in 2004...
, published 2004, was a widely publicised account of Singh's crime and trial, together with the Cinque family's response to it. Singh's actions were also the inspiration for a play, Criminology by Tom Wright and Lally Katz, performed at Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
's Malthouse Theatre in August 2007.
After release
Singh was released on parole in October 2001, but returned to jail in April 2004 after breaching her parole conditions by smoking marijuana. She was released on 5 August 2004, in the same month that Joe Cinque's Consolation was published, after challenging her re-imprisonment on a technicality.Singh gave interviews shortly after the release of the book, recounting her own memories of the killing and expressing regret at not agreeing to an interview by Garner. She told interviewers that she wished to redress some of the book's imbalance towards her. ABC interviewer Phillip Adams referred to her as "chilling" and was profoundly disturbed by Singh's failure to acknowledge responsibility, referring to the crime in the third person.
Singh has completed a masters in criminology
Criminology
Criminology is the scientific study of the nature, extent, causes, and control of criminal behavior in both the individual and in society...
at Sydney University, having attended classes on day release from Emu Plains Correctional Centre
Emu Plains Correctional Centre
Emu Plains Correctional Centre is a minimum security institution for females located on Old Bathurst Rd, Emu Plains, New South Wales, Australia....
.
In June 2005, concern was expressed in the New South Wales Parliament
Parliament of New South Wales
The Parliament of New South Wales, located in Parliament House on Macquarie Street, Sydney, is the main legislative body in the Australian state of New South Wales . It is a bicameral parliament elected by the people of the state in general elections. The parliament shares law making powers with...
about Singh's employment with the Cabramatta
Cabramatta, New South Wales
Cabramatta is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Cabramatta is located 30 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Fairfield...
Community Centre. The public were reassured that Singh was not employed to distribute clean injecting equipment and that her employment was on a time-limited project. In 2005, a documentary was being made about Singh by James Ricketson which covered her employment in Cabramatta. The documentary was reportedly to be called Atonement.
Singh is now writing her PhD thesis at the University of Sydney on Offending Women - Toward a Greater Understanding of Female Criminality.